Job of a Process Engineer – Interview Tips and Questions

Process engineers can change the world. Helping to save resources, designing new ways of doing things, and improving overall efficiency of the production process, you can make the company stand out, and you can contribute to the overall well-being of human society. There is just one little catch–you have to get this job first, in your interview.

A practical interview – a tough nut to crack

I can give you some ideas and question, but the truth is that in every good company, you will deal with several case studies. You will have to demonstrate your way of thinking and practical skills when it comes to engineering processes. And there is hardly a way to prepare for such technical questions and tests in advance–either you know your job, or you don’t. But I can give you at least some advice.

When it comes to practical exercises, try to present your opinions in a right way. You should explain your solution in a way the interviewers can understand. They should see the benefits of your engineering, benefits for their company. Try to not look like the cleverest person in the world. Stay humble, present your suggestions in a clear and simple way, and show some enthusiasm for the challenges that await you in their company.

Other interview questions you can get

As in every interview for a good job, you can count with some screening and behavioral questions, simply with a well-designed and sophisticated interview process. It will start with some screening questions, just to test your attitude and motivation, and your communication skills.

Tell us something about yourself.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

Why should we hire you and not somebody else?

Why have you decided for career in process engineering?

What do you believe to accomplish on this position in our company?

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

After this ice-breaking and communication skills testing, you will deal with some behavioral questions, talking about various work related situations. Interviewers ask about them to understand your attitude to work, and to your colleagues, and your way of thinking and doing the job. To such questions belong:

Describe me a situation when you felt hopeless in your job.

Describe me your most successful engineering experience.

Describe the biggest failure of your professional career.

Describe a situation when you reached a goal and tell us how you achieved it.

Describe a problem you were unable to solve with your skills.

Describe a situation when you were under pressure in work.

Tell me about a time when you showed drive in work?

While answering the behavioral questions, the most important thing is to stay honest, and human. To say that you always solved every problem, or never felt stress in your job, would not result in a signed job contract. The interviewers want to hear that you can admit your mistakes and learn from them, and that you can co-exist with your colleagues in work.

Once behavioral part is over, the time will come to test your real skills. While you will almost certainly get some tasks to solve, projects to think about, or even role plays to handle, you can also get some basic technical questions, such as:

What do we mean by a prototype?

What is cascade loop and how it works?

What can cause a damage to a hydraulic pump?

… (the questions will depends on the particular job you apply for)

You can not really prepare for the technical questions. Either you know your job, or you don’t. But you can prepare for the screening and behavioral part of your interview. Research online (and on our website) for good answers to these questions, and practice them prior to your interview.